Tree seedlings require water and cool temperatures to survive until planted.
If you intend to plant the trees within a week, keep them in the shipping package in a cool or shaded location, such as a cooler (above freezing), basement, outbuilding or on the north side of a building.
If planting will be delayed longer than a week, open the package, make sure that the roots and packing materials are damp, reseal, and store the package in a cool place, periodically checking the condition of the tree’s roots. Or, dig a trench deep enough to accommodate the roots and plant the seedlings, packing soil around their roots. Do not allow the roots to dry out while they are heeled-in in this manner.
Your seedlings have just come through a dormant season. As living organisms, they need sunlight, carbon dioxide, oxygen and water to get a fresh start after planting. The longer you wait to plant the trees, the fewer the number that will survive, regardless of the care given in storage.
*Dibble Suppliers:
A. M. Leonard, Inc.
241 Fox Drive
Piqua, Ohio 45356-0816
PO BOX 816
1 (800) 543-8955
Forestry Suppliers Inc.
205 West Rankin Street
P.O. Box 8397
Jackson, MS 39284-8397
800-752-8460